What will happen if the electric heater for reducing gas in Reformation and Regeneration System No. 1 stops working?
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Dear experts, what will happen if the electric heater for reducing gas in Reformation and Regeneration System No. 1 stops working? This unit is a 3.5-generation reformer for continuous reforming and regeneration. There are two electric heaters in the reduction section, and a differential pressure is established between the reduction section and Reactor 1: when this differential pressure exceeds the interlock value, the valve that supplies pressurized gas to the reduction area is closed ； Open the discharge valve in the reduction zone. May I ask, at this point will the two electric heaters shut down due to the low-flow interlock? If they do shut down, then the reduction section won’t have the appropriate temperature for catalyst reduction. If it’s not possible to reset and open the valve that supplies pressurized gas to the reduction area after a long time, is it necessary to perform a manual hot shutdown?
This situation basically cannot occur; there are drainage pipelines available for waste hydrogen, and if those aren’t sufficient, the hydrogen is discharged through those pipelines. The pressure difference will drop, and at that point the hydrogen cut-off valve is reset.
The interlock action involves a cycle for hydrogen replenishment and reduction; I’m not clear – if the reduction electric heater cannot be turned on for an extended period, does that mean a manual thermal shutdown is required? It’s about stopping the loop, right? But for how long can you stop it from running? The hazards of stopping catalyst circulation for an extended period must be much more severe than those resulting from inadequate catalyst reduction. The UOP technical support team here said that it’s fine to maintain the hydrogen circulation in the reduction zone for 2 months, but in reality this period should be much shorter; otherwise, catalysts that fail to undergo effective metal reduction will result in reduced reaction efficiency, affecting subsequent operations. So, still solve the problem where it exists.